Tony Pedregon and Jeg Coughlin Jr. also won their
respective categories at the $1.8 million race, the 14th of 23
events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Russell blasted his Joe Amato-owned Bilstein Engine
Flush dragster down the quarter-mile in 4.657 seconds at 308.00 mph to
defeat Kenny Bernstein who lost traction in his Bud King dragster and
slowed to a run of 5.788 at 159.12. Russell defeated Don Sosenka, Doug
Herbert, Larry Dixon, and Bernstein for his second win in as many weeks.

"All I know is we're looking at one race at a
time," said Russell, the 2001 NHRA Rookie of the Year. "Joe's
wife, Donna, told us she has always wanted a hat trick, win all three
races on the West Coast swing, and we're two-thirds the way there. "

After starting the season in disappointing fashion Amato
made some personnel changes after the Las Vegas race and has been on a
roll as of late.

"Right now first and second place are a little out
of reach, but third place is attainable for this team," said Russell.
"We can definitely achieve that if we continue to do what we are
doing. From the first part of the season when we struggled until now,
feels like three years ago. For what this team had to overcome in such a
short period of time, to where we are now, says a lot about this team.
That's all Joe Amato. He has always had that winning way about him his
entire racing career and he wanted to build a team that was going to
continue to go out and win. That's what he did. He had to make some tough
decisions after Vegas. Sometimes change is good, but it was all a business
decision and it looks like his decisions are paying big dividends."

With his runner-up finish, Bernstein now trails rival
and points leader Dixon by 97 points in the Top Fuel standings. Russell
would have moved into fourth with the win, but because he was penalized 10
NHRA POWERade championship points for oiling down the racing surface in
his second round win over Herbert, he's in fifth place, four points behind
Tony Schumacher.

Pedregon won in Funny Car for the third time this season
and for the 16th time of his career in his Castrol Syntec Ford
Mustang. Pedregon managed to reach the finish line in 5.049 at 293.22 to
outrun Bruce Sarver's slower run of 6.827 at 130.15 in his Whitecap Toyota
Celica. Pedregon drove past Bob Gilbertson, Dale Creasy Jr., and Dean
Skuza to set up the final round match-up with Sarver.

Pedregon's team was without their crew chief, John
Medlen, who was not at the Seattle race due to a medical procedure he had
to undergo. Co-crew chief Dickie Venables made all the calls for the win.

"I had all the confidence in the world prior to my
first qualifying run because I saw the look," said the 37-year-old
Pedregon. "I was just comfortable and it erased any questions that
were there. That's all I needed to see and it made me feel good. I talked
to Medlen and he'll be back (next week). But it just shows you what kind
of team has been built over here. Someone can leave, or be sick, and
someone else can step right in. We're a pretty solid team. I'm proud of
Dickie and he's getting the trophy from this one."

With the win Pedregon, moved into second in the NHRA
POWERade standings while team owner John Force remains the leader in
standings while Gary Densham slips into the No. 3 spot. Force Racing once
again occupies the top three spots in the Funny Car order.

"I know we've gotten closer to John in the
points," said Pedregon. "He's not going to give it to me, but if
we earn it, guess what, that's our chance (to win the championship). Our
goal is to stay close, and if we can move into first, that's a little bit
better than we wanted. John's been doing this long enough, he can fend for
himself."

Coughlin scored his 25th career Pro Stock win
when he clocked a 6.864 at 200.14 in his Jeg's Mail Order Cavalier to
defeat fellow-Chevy driver Mark Whisnant who rolled to a 9.309 at 96.20.
The final in Pro Stock was actually held twice with a timing malfunction
occurring in the original match-up and Whisnant not even making a run
while Coughlin sped to a 6.831 pass. An hour later the Pro Stock final was
ran again with Coughlin coming out on top.

"It was pretty bizarre," said Coughlin.
"This is the most sun we have seen since Thursday. But I guess we're
real pleased to defend our final round win (from earlier in the day). I
guess it would have been pretty disheartening if it was the other way
around."

It was Coughlin's second win in the last three events
and he has won at every track on the NHRA circuit except at Dallas and at
Infineon Raceways in Sonoma, Calif., the site of next weeks FRAM Autolite
Nationals and the final race of the West Coast swing.

"We were going to take a few days off and go to the
Napa Valley, but I wasn't weren't sure this weekend was going to
end," said Coughlin "To be able to take a Wally (winner's
trophy) with us is pretty outstanding. You just can't beat a win like this
and we're heading in the right direction."

KENT, Wash. -- Final finish order (1-16) for
professional categories at the 15th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Northwest
Nationals at Pacific Raceways. The $1.8 million race is the 14th of 23
events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

KENT, Wash. -- Monday's final results from the 15th
annual Lucas Oil NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways. The $1.8
million race is the 14th of 23 in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series: